1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and devices for coupling and uncoupling portions of mechanical assemblies. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the invention concern a gear operated coupler suitable for use in coupling and uncoupling mating portions of piping systems and piping system components.
2. Related Technology
Piping systems and components are used in the management of a wide variety of materials and are employed in a virtually endless number of different applications. Such materials may be present in a variety of different states including gases, liquids, slurries, semisolids, and various combinations thereof and may be found in applications as varied as oil and gas collection and processing, wastewater collection and processing, industrial waste processing applications, nuclear systems and nuclear waste processing applications, radioactive materials handling, agricultural applications, food processing, and cryogenic applications.
As suggested by the foregoing, piping systems and components have been developed for use with materials whose nature may range from the benign, such as drinking water, to the deadly, such as radioactive waste. Likewise, the operating temperatures of such systems and components can vary from relatively cold temperatures, such as in cryogenic applications, to relatively high temperatures, such as in reactor piping systems. In similar fashion, system operating pressures may vary widely from one application to another.
Due to the potential danger posed to life and property by hazardous materials and/or by extreme operating conditions, various systems and components have been developed in an attempt to minimize, or at least reduce, the risk of the harm that would likely attend an uncontrolled release of piping system contents. Generally, such systems and components reflect various approaches to the reduction of such risks.
At the component level, for example, piping system components have been designed and constructed that include various safety features and heavy duty construction that are intended to minimize the chances of component failure and an uncontrolled release of system materials. In other instances, systems and components have been developed that include features that are intended to minimize the chance that an operator or other personnel, or property, will be harmed if an uncontrolled release of system materials should occur.
Such systems and components have nonetheless proven to be of limited effectiveness in many cases. In particular, a number of these systems and components are overly complex and unreliable. Moreover, such systems and components typically lack the robustness necessary for long-term effective use in demanding environments and operating conditions.
In view of the foregoing, it would be useful to provide a gear operated coupler that implements secure, reliable and effective connections in piping systems and components. Additionally, the gear operated coupler should enable ready coupling and uncoupling of piping system components. Finally, the gear operated coupler should be configured so that its operation can be effectuated from a remote location.